The Living Soil: Our Climate Ally

One of our biggest potential climate allies is directly under our feet: soil. Healthy, living soil has an enormous capacity to store carbon. In fact, carbon stored in soil accounts for roughly three times the amount stored in the atmosphere! Improving the health of degraded soil holds tremendous potential to mitigate climate change.

There are a wide variety of ways for everyone to contribute to increasing SOM (soil organic matter0. Composting food leftovers, kitchen scraps and garden waste are primary methods. Cost-effective local, municipal composting programs are on the rise. On farms, cover crops and agroforestry methods work to increase SOM, and the regeneration of natural grasslands and reforestation are other strategies for improving soil health.